Short excursions around L'Aquila
Amiternum archeological site
On your way to our student's flats in Pizzoli you may stop by and visit the stunning archeological site of Amiternum, an ancient Italic town founded by the Sabines and conquered by the Romans in the 3rd century B.C.!
The site features an amphiteatre, a theather, publich baths as well as an aqueduct.
For more information and opening times, visit this link.
Gran Sasso and other ski resorts
Gran Sasso is Italy's second highest mountain (2,912 m asl). From the bus station in L'Aquila you can catch a number M6 bus (115 on Sundays) for Assergi/Fonte Cerreto (1150 m asl), which is the base of the cableway that will take you to Campo Imperatore (around 2100 m asl). Campo Imperatore is a ski resort where you'll also find an astronomic observatory, a hotel (where Italian dictator Mussolini was held captive), an alpine garden, lakes and several breathtaking trails. The cableway may not be available all year round (it's usually closed in summer). Anyway, if it's closed, you may still decide to get to Fonte Cerreto to go on a hiking trip: there are several amazing hiking paths starting there!
Click here for a virtual tour
If you are into skiing, there are another 2 popular ski resorts at a short distance from L'Aquila, with better facilities than Campo Imperatore:
Stiffe Caves (Grotte di Stiffe)
Another place worth visiting in the neighbourhood is Stiffe (the nearby village is called San Demetrio dei Vestini), located at only 18 km from L'Aquila. The tour of these spectacular caves takes about one hour, but do not go there between November and April, as they may be closed because of the high water level inside. According to its official website, there are two buses going there every day from Collemaggio bus station in L'Aquila: one leaving at 8.15 am, the other one at 2 pm. Click here for details
Lake Campotosto (Lago Campotosto)
Located at about 1,300 m asl, this lake is part of the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park. It was created back in 1940s to produce electric power. In winter the lake gets almost completely frozen, while in spring and summer lots of people get there for canoeing, windsurfing, bird-watching, fishing (a permit is usually required) or just for picnicking. The road around the lake is ideal for walking or cycling. Several hiking paths connect Campotosto to nearby villages like Capitignano, Montereale and Amatrice. Click here for more information. The easiest way to get there is by catching an ARPA bus from Pizzoli to the village of Capitignano, then walk up to the lake, but it is going to be a 1-hour hike up to the lake and could be a bit strenuous for some. If you wish to get straight to the lake, you'll have to firstly get to the bus station in Collemaggio (L'Aquila city centre), then catch a TUA/ARPA bus to "Lago Campotosto".
Marmore Waterfalls (Cascata delle Marmore)
Marmore waterfalls are a man-made waterfall created in ancient times by Romans. Its total height is 165 m (541 feet), making it the tallest man-made waterfall in the world. Its source is a portion of the waters of river Velino (the rest of the river flows into a hydroelectric power plant), after flowing through Piediluco lake near the community of Marmore. It pours into the valley below formed by the river Nera. Its flow is turned on and off based on a specific schedule, to satisfy the needs of tourists and the power company alike. Tourists try to be there the moment the gates are opened to see the powerful rush of water.
How to get there: catch a train from L'Aquila to Terni, then board a direct bus to get to the waterfalls.
Adapted from Wikipedia
Gran Sasso National Laboratory
From the official web-site
The Gran Sasso National Laboratory is one of the four INFN laboratories. It is the largest underground laboratory in the world for experiments in particle physics, particle astrophysics and nuclear astrophysics. It is used as a worldwide facility by scientists, presently over 900 in number, from 29 different countries, working at about 15 experiments in their different phases. It is located between the towns of L'Aquila and Teramo, about 120 km from Rome. Go to www.lngs.infn.it for more details and guided tours.
Beaches on the Adriatic coast
There are many amazing sandy beaches on the Adriatic coast at only 1 hour-ride from L'Aquila. The easiest one to get to is Giulianova. All you have to do is get to the bus station in L'Aquila and buy a ticket at the ARPA office on the -2 floor. Get off at Giulianova Stazione (train station) and walk to the beach, it's just a few steps away.
Other popular places are: Alba Adriatica, Pineto, Vasto and Pescara. Pescara is by the way Abruzzo's largest city, with lots of shops, clubs and great nightlife, too. Just get to the main train station (Pescara Centrale, 2 hours from L'Aquila, change trains in Sulmona; or just get there by ARPA coach). Outside the train station you'll find yourself in the city centre with lots to do and see on the promenade that will take you right into the beach!
Calascio Fortress (Rocca Calascio)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocca_Calascio
How to get there: get to the bus station in Collemaggio (L'Aquila city centre), then catch a TUA/ARPA bus to Calascio (check out the TUA/ARPA website)
Sulmona
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulmona
How to get there: just catch a train to Sulmona from L'Aquila train station.
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